


Midwinter Celebrations

by Oakwyrm



Category: Thrilling Intent (Web Series), Valdemar Series - Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Festivals, Gen, There's Kyrlos/Zeke but it's so minor I felt it would be false advertising to tag it, Winter, tiweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-08
Updated: 2016-12-08
Packaged: 2018-09-07 07:13:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8788618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oakwyrm/pseuds/Oakwyrm
Summary: When the snow on the ground lays thick and the river has frozen over, when the nights are the darkest and half the Collegia has packed up to go home and see their families, that's a time for friends and merriment.





	

**Author's Note:**

> TI Week Day 5 - Crossover/AU
> 
> Listen, listen.  
> I know the Ice Festival was a one-off thing in the books. But this is my AU. I can tweak Valdemar's climate to be colder.
> 
> This is a technically crossover but not really so more of an AU I guess. It's based off of Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books.

The snow outside the Collegia lay thick and pathways had already begun to emerge from students making their slow, cold way to classes in the mornings. At that very moment, however, there were few people to be seen. The day had been busy, full of snowball fights and laughing. Free days were always appreciated. But the evenings in the deep of winter were more often used for curling up inside near the fire and studying.

Right now, however, over half of the Heraldic Trainees and some of the Bardic and Healers, too, were packing up. The midwinter celebrations of several different faiths were fast approaching and many students had been given leave to go spend the time with their families.

Not Gregor Hartway, though. The young -though old for a Herald Trainee- man, clad as ever in the grey uniform of his Collegium, was out in Companion's Field. For a moment he could only see the shapes of creatures looking like white horses moving in the distance, many were headed towards the Companion's stables for the night. One of the group looked up and began trotting towards him. The sound of her silver hooves on the ground was, as ever, more akin to the ringing of bells than an actual horse's trot.

Of course that was only to be expected. She was a Companion, not a horse. There was a big difference and Companions and Heralds alike were very particular about that. Aria, the being who had Chosen him to be her Chosen Herald some four years ago, looked down at him with disapproving blue eyes.

: _Shouldn't you be sleeping?:_ Her voice rang clear through his head. He shrugged.

: _Everyone who's going home_ _to spend the holidays with family_ _is packing up,:_ he replied.

: _Ah_.: Her mental voice gained an understanding tone. : _Xandal and Kyr came back from circuit just the other day,_ _though_ _._ _:_ Gregor shrugged.

: _No one's really_ _away right now._ _Or they're not going to be for long,_ : he said. She nodded her large head solemnly and gently nudged his cheek with her nose.

: _Well,_ _I mean_ _, no one I know_ ,: he amended. : _A lot of people are leaving but I don't think any_ _of my friends_ _are_.: He leaned against her large frame and glanced up towards the night sky.

 _:Your group doesn't seem one much for going back_ ,: Aria observed. Gregor winced, the image of a town ablaze flashing through his mind for a second. He shook himself, trying to get rid of the uncomfortable tightness in his chest.

: _I'm right here, Chosen._ : Aria nudged his cheek again. : _You are not alone._ : He buried his face in her mane, throwing his arms around her neck.

: _I know I'm not,_ : he said, his mind voice quieter than usual. : _You're here and there's Ashe, Thog, Inien,_ _Kyr's back and Markus is due in tomo_ _-:_

 _:_ _Gregor_ _,:_ Aria’s voice was gentle but firm. Gregor breathed out slowly and took a step back. He shivered, suddenly aware of how cold the night air way. : _Go back inside_ ,: she said. He nodded and took a few steps backwards before turning and beginning to trudge his way back towards Herald's Collegium, over one of the bridges that stretched over the frozen Terilee River.

About halfway there he was stopped by a familiar figure waving to him from over by the salle. Kyrlos, the Weaponsmaster, stood there grinning his usual broad grin. Gregor turned his steps and ran over as fast as he could through the thick snow. A pathway would have to be cleared again soon.

“There you are, Gregor my boy!” Kyrlos ruffled his hair once he drew close enough.

“What is it-” Gregor steadied himself a little, reorganising his hair as best he could. “-Sir?” Kyrlos laughed.

“Markus came by not long ago. Asked if I'd seen you. I told him I hadn't and he asked if I could send you his way if I saw you.” Gregor looked up at him before turning his eyes to the shining lights of the three Collegia, Healer's, Bardic and Herald's.

“I thought he wasn't coming back until tomorrow?” Gregor asked, though he could hardly disguise his delight at the news that his entire friend group was now on palace grounds.

“He said something about cutting it short to be back in time for the Ice Festival.” Kyrlos' eyes shone with merriment as he nudged Gregor gently in the direction of the Collegia. Or what passed as a gentle nudge for him, anyway. Gregor could easily take it, Markus would have been laying face down in the snow. “Go on, my boy, your friends are waiting for you,” he smiled.

Gregor nodded and quickly thanked Kyrlos before beginning to sprint towards the Bardic Collegium.

***

Markus stared at his reflection, a displeased frown on his brow. As ever the rust red uniform of the Bardic Collegium did little to improve his complexion. In fact it made him look rather sickly. He tapped his fingers against his crossed arms, grumbling quietly under his breath.

“You do know that nothing you mutter under your breath will change the Bardic colours, right?” Ashe asked, looking up from the book she had been pouring over. Markus rolled his eyes and looked back at his white haired friend. As ever she was clad in the light green of the Healers' Collegium.

“Easy for you to say, your uniform suits you,” he said, sitting down in a nearby chair and picking up his lute. “Thog, trade with me.” He looked up and over to where Thog was seated in the corner. The Guard looked up at him, an eyebrow raised.

“No,” he said blankly. At that moment he was clad in the midnight blue uniform of the palace guard, though up until a few years ago he had also worn the pale blue uniform of the unaffiliated students, or “the Blues”, taking classes at the Collegia. Usually this group consisted of Guards and the children of nobles but there was also the odd Artificer hopeful in the bunch.

“Oh that would be hilarious,” Inien piped up from the centre of the room, where she we seated on the floor. “Markus trying to be a guard. It's not like the entire reason you haven't graduated yet is because you can't swing a sword to save your own life.” She snorted. Markus sighed. Before he could decide what exactly to say in defence of his frail, mortal body the door burst open. Kyr jumped and the thing he was holding burst into flames.

“Markus you're back!” Gregor stood panting but smiling in the doorway. His clothes were covered in so much snow that he might as well have been wearing full Heraldic Whites and no one would have know the difference. Kyr looked down at the burning piece of iron in his hands and dropped it. Thankfully he managed to get the flames to go out before it caught anything else in the room on fire.

“Gregor don't startle the Firestarter,” Inien said. “I'd like to avoid being burned alive.” Kyr turned an odd shade of red and nudged the slightly melted thing that had until recently been beautifully shaped sphere with intricate markings along the outside under Markus' desk.

“I have enough control to ride circuit!” he protested, pointing to his uniform, the full Heraldic Whites, to prove his point. Inien looked at the slightly melted sphere and leaned back a bit, steadying herself on her hands.

“Because you have to ride circuit to be a proper Herald,” she said. Kyr winced, him mind going immediately to Weaponsmaster Kyrlos, Herald Chronicler Firi, King's Own Colvin and many others, including even the King himself. All Heralds, all holding positions that didn't include riding about the country solving disputes and stopping bandit raids when possible.

“N-no,” he tripped over his words slightly. “I'm just a normal Herald.” Inien threw her head back and laughed.

“That's adorable,” she stood up and dusted herself off. “Normal Herald. Kyr, Firestarting is one of the rarest Gifts out there and yours is strong. Normal Herald. Right.” She rolled her eyes and stuffed her hands into her pockets.

“Hi Gregor,” Markus said, finally managing to greet the newcomer in the pause that followed. Gregor stepped in and closed the door behind him.

“Sorry Kyr,” he said. Kyr shrugged.

“It happens all the time,” he said, picking up the sphere and began examining it again.

“I'm not sure you should be so flippant about that,” Ashe pointed out.

“Hey he has a lot more control than he did when he was first Chosen,” Markus said. “I... think,” he added, as if only just then remembering that he had in fact not been at Bardic, or even in Haven for that matter, when Kyr was a tiny twelve year old, freshly Chosen and with a Firestarting Gift that he didn't know how to control.

“I do,” Kyr said. From what Gregor had heard, when Kyr was first Chosen Xandal had to keep a tight watch on him through their bond and help him control his Gift so he didn't accidentally burn Herald's Collegium (and so also the palace) to ash.

Gregor took that moment to notice the snow covering him and took a step back out into the corridor to shake off the quickly melting sky tears. Once he was more certain that he wasn't going to drip all over Markus' room he stepped back inside and removed the outer layer of his uniform. The part meant to keep him warm in the frigid weather outside.

“So how have things been around here?” Markus asked, looking over the people who were currently at the Collegia and the palace in general full time.

“Decent,” Thog said.

“Ashe has a dog now,” Gregor added. Markus blinked and turned to the Apprentice Healer. Ashe looked up from her book again.

“Since when?” Markus asked.

“Two weeks ago,” she answered, setting her book aside and sitting up straighter. “She was sleeping when Thog came to get me and I didn't want to wake her.” Markus leaned back in his chair and, at the mention of sleep, he yawned widely.

“You need sleep,” Gregor observed. Markus shook his head but Ashe had already stood up.

“Yeah you sound tired,” she said.

“You just got back, you should really sleep.” Kyr added his voice to the group.

Among them Kyr had the most authority in this particular area, being that he rode circuit regularly and was familiar with how exhausting it could at times be. Of course a Herald's duties were far more strenuous than a Bard's, much less a Bard who had yet to achieve Master rank, but there were enough similarities when it came to life on the road for Kyr to be serious in his prodding for Markus to get his rest.

“All right,” Markus gave in, getting up out of his chair as his friends began to file out of the room one by one.

Once goodbyes and wishes of calm sleep and good dreams had been exchanged Gregor began heading towards Herald's Collegium with Kyr not far behind. Ashe turned to the right and headed towards Healer's while Thog began heading towards the walls that surrounded the palace and the Collegia. Inien had quickly vanished, going to where ever it was she spent her nights.

Gregor and Kyr made their way back to the palace proper and Herald's Collegium in relative silence. They exchanged a few stories, Kyr told of some disputes he'd had to sort out while on circuit and the odd bandit group he'd had to stop. Gregor caught Kyr up on the comings and goings of the court and the three Collegia.

Once back in the warmth of Herald's Collegium their roads split. Gregor headed towards his room in the Herald Trainee dorms while Kyr began his road towards the Herald's Wing.

***

The next day dawned bright and early. Gregor jumped out of bed at the crack of dawn and pulled open his curtains to watch the sun rise above the palace, starting the long awaited day of the Ice Festival, the celebration held every year around midwinter after the Terilee river had frozen over.

“Gregor! Gregor are you awake?” Kyr's excited voice on the other side of the door made him quickly scramble for his uniform.

“Just a second!” he called as he quickly changed into clothes better suited for a long day outside in the cold. Once he was dressed he opened the door. Kyr stood there, grinning excitedly in his own winter Whites.

Together the two made their way out of the Herald Trainee dorms and towards Healer's, the agreed upon meet up point for the group. On their way over they caught sight of a figure half stumbling his way through the deep snow towards them. His bright hair next to his rust red uniform made it almost impossible to mistake him for anyone but Markus Tannhauser Velafi.

“Someone should really clear the pathways,” he panted as he got within earshot.

“The snow's coming down too fast to clear you'll have to deal,” Thog said, walking towards them as briskly as he could. He wasn't wearing his Guard uniform, opting rather for the kind of regular winter clothes one would see on any citizen.

“Oh, you got the day off?” Gregor asked.

“Gregor.” Thog pinched the bridge of his nose. “If I hadn't gotten the day off I wouldn't be able to even fucking go to the festival, would I?”

“Oh right. Yeah that makes sense.” The four or them continued the walk towards Healer's Collegium, soon spotting Inien leaning against the wall next to the door. They joined her in waiting for Ashe but only had to wait a very short time before she came running out of the door.

“I'm not late!” she said, defending herself before anyone even had a chance to say anything.

“Relax we've only been here for a few seconds,” Markus said.

“Speak for yourself,” Inien scoffed. Markus elbowed her in the ribs. Ashe breathed out a sigh of relief and turned towards the door. Just as she did so a streak of black and white shot out so fast Markus had to blink to properly catch it.

Ashe laughed as she watched the dog pounce around in the snow for a bit. She whistled and the fur ball came to an abrupt halt. She was about the size of a small wolf, the majority of her coat was either black or grey, with white markings around her eyes, muzzle, chest and front legs. Her fur was thick and she looked like she would be really soft.

“Taika!” Ashe called. The dog, apparently called Taika, ran swiftly up to her. Ashe attached the leash she'd been holding to Taika's collar.

Markus hesitantly crouched down and reached his hand towards her. Taika curiously sniffed his bare fingers before deciding that he was worthy by whatever measurement dogs used for such things and jumping on him, tail wagging, to lick his face.

He fell backwards into the snow with a startled laugh. Ashe smiled fondly before calling Taika again. She stood to attention, front paws still firmly planted on Markus' chest before turning and running back to Ashe.

“I think she likes me,” Markus said as he got up out of the snow and began dusting himself off.

“She likes everyone,” Inien pointed out.

“Don't ruin this for me.”

***

The Ice Festival was a lively place. On the frozen Terilee river tents and booths had been put up containing various foods and entertainment. A viewing area had been set up for the ice dancing that would be taking place later that night.

“Gregor, my boy!” a boisterous voice made the group stop and turn to Weaponsmaster Kyrlos. At his side stood someone they weren't quite expecting. Even with his long, dark hair hidden by his hood it was impossible to mistake the King of Valdemar. Well, impossible for a Herald, a Herald Trainee and a Palace Guard, at least. Markus, Ashe and Inien, too, knew the King by sight, from seeing him often at the salle. Besides, the circlet of bright gold resting on his brow was a pretty dead giveaway.

“Your Majesty,” Gregor said, sounding honestly surprised.

“Gregor, please, you will be a Herald soon. Call me Zeke,” the King said.

“Oh, right, sorry Zeke,” Gregor sounded a little sheepish.

“Hope you're enjoying the festival!” Kyrlos grinned. Glances were shared among the group.

“Yeah it's great!” Gregor said, enthusiastic and oblivious to his friends' trepidation. The only one among them not to be nervous was Kyr, understandable since he was a Herald already. He knew Zeke, to some extent. Inien, also, seemed less concerned. Though whether this was because of her general Inien-ness or the fact that she knew the King's Own Herald Colvin well, no one would ever really know.

“Good to hear. Zeke worked really hard on it!” Kyrlos put his arm around Zeke's shoulder and pulled him a little closer. Zeke seemed to freeze for a moment.

“Ah, er, yes,” he said, seeming a little bit lost. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.” He smiled a very brief smile before beginning to make his way around the group, detaching himself from Kyrlos but not before linking their hands together.

“Adorable,” Inien commented as the group watched the Weaponsmaster and the King vanish in the crowd.

“We should get breakfast,” Ashe pointed out once the two were out of sight. The rest of the group nodded and they began to make their way towards the food stalls. It wasn't long before all of them had piping hot pastries and were examining this year's options for activities.

 _:_ _Bring me back one of those oat cakes.:_ Aria's voice popped into Gregor's head suddenly.

 _:Don't worry I won't forget,:_ Gregor assured her, smiling even though she couldn't see it.

Inien stopped by a jeweller’s stall, inspecting the wares with a critical eye. Finally she landed on an amethyst pin. It wasn't long before she had convinced Kyr to get it for her, and managed to lower the price by pointing out the flaws in the stone until the poor jeweller looked like he was doubting his entire existence.

“I don't know if I should be impressed or horrified,” Ashe said. Inien took the pin and placed it carefully in her bag.

“It's a gift,” she said.

“You did not just make that fucking pun,” Thog said in a deadpan tone, glaring in Inien's direction. Inien snorted. Though, technically speaking she had not used her true Gift of Foresight in this instance, it would have been of little use and Foresight was in general a fickle Gift, but she wasn't above making jokes she knew would annoy Thog.

“So what if I did?” she challenged. Ashe groaned. Thog looked less than impressed.

“...with the Gifted bullshit,” he muttered under his breath. “I don't know how many times I've said it; I want nothing to do with that shit,” he said, loud enough for everyone to hear this time. Markus raised an eyebrow.

“Thog, you do realise five out of the six people you agree to call friends are Gifted, right?” he said. “That's going to be a little hard to accomplish.”

“Yeah and you're a Palace Guard,” Gregor added. Thog didn't reply, instead deciding to take a bite out of his breakfast. Which the rest of the group took as a silent “you're right and I hate it”.

“You know you love us,” Ashe said. Thog glared at her but, of course, everyone who knew him new his real glare from his half-hearted glare and this one was definitely half-hearted at best.

They day continued in high spirits. They caught a play in one of the tents. Not a particularly good one, in the end. Full of clichés about star-crossed lovers and writing that made Markus roll his eyes so far into the back of his skull it hurt but they had fun making fun of it together afterwards. Gregor and Kyr, ever the optimists of the group, were far more lenient, but even they admitted it had been pretty horrid.

Taika, as soon as she learned how to navigate on the ice, was trying her hardest to run circles around the group and tangle them up in her leash. Her excitement was honestly endearing and after she agreed to calm down Ashe rewarded her with a treat. This was also when Markus learned that apparently Ashe was now in the habit of carrying dog treats around. It took every inch of self control he had not to comment on how adorable he found that particular fact.

The day wore on, full of games and good food and music. Around midday they came across a tent with a sign reading “Bardic Collegium Music Contest”. Ashe sighed and looked at Markus, who was doing a very poor job of disguising just how much he wanted to sign up.

“Go on, we all know you want to,” she said, prodding him towards the entrance of the tent. Taika, too, pushed against him to get him to move in that direction. He smiled and ran towards the registration desk while the rest of the group tried to find seats.

The best thing about music contests for specifically Bardic students was that one could be sure of the safety of one's ears. Every person on stage was good at what they did and entranced the audience in different ways. Some had the Bardic Gift of being able to make their audience feel the emotions of the music, some did not, but all were superb.

Markus was one of the former, Gifted with the ability to make people feel the songs he was singing. And today he had chosen one about a very particular figure in Valdemar's history. The legends, and indeed the ballad that Markus now sang, said that he had Magic, real Magic not just Gifts.

Until recently most people had scoffed at this. Magic had been only a myth. It was only recently that knowledge of true Magic had returned to Valdemar and the population at large was still getting used to living in a world where Mages were real and not a work of fiction.

 

 _Along a road in Hardorn, the place called Stony Tor_  
_A fearful band of farmers flees Karsite Border war._  
 _A frightened band of farmers, their children, and their wives,_  
 _Seek refuge from a tyrant, who wants more than just their lives._  
  
_Now up rides Herald Vanyel. “Why then such haste?” says he._  
 _“Now who is it pursuing, whose anger do you flee?_  
 _You are all of Hardorn, why seek you Valdemar?_  
 _Is Festil no protection? Or bide all his men too far?”_  
  
_“Oh, Vanyel, Herald Vanyel, we flee now for our lives,_  
 _Lord Nedran would enslave us, our children and our wives_  
 _He'd give our souls to demons, our bodies, to his men._  
 _King Festil has not heeded, or he happens not to ken.”_  
  
_Now up speaks Herald Vanyel. “The Border is not far_  
 _But you are all of Hardorn, and not of Valdemar,_  
 _You are not Randale's people, can call not on his throne_  
 _But dammed if I will see you left so helpless on your own!”_  
  
_So forth goes Herald Vanyel, and onward does he ride,_  
 _On Stony Tor he waits then, Yfandes at his side._  
 _With Nedran's men approaching, he calls out from on high,_  
 _“You shall not pass, Lord Nedran! Nay I shall not let you by!”_  
  
_Now only Herald Vanyel stands blocking Nedran's way_  
 _“Now who are you, fool nothing, that dares to tell me nay?”_  
 _Now up speaks Herald Vanyel his voice like brittle glass;_  
 _“The Herald-Mage called Vanyel and 'tis I you shall not pass!”_  
  
_Now there stand great Lord Nedran, behind him forty men,_  
 _With wizard there beside him he pales, and speaks again_  
 _“So you are Herald Vanyel, this place is not your land._  
 _So heed me, Herald Vanyel; and now turn aside your hand.”_  
  
_“Let be; I'll give you silver, and I shall give you gold,_  
 _And I shall give you jewels fair that sparkle bright and bold,_  
 _And I shall give you pearls, all treasures of the sea,_  
 _If you will step aside here, leaving these poor fools to me.”_  
  
_“What need have I of silver with sweet Yfandes here?_  
 _And all the gold I cherish is sunlight bright and clear._  
 _The only jewel I treasure's a bright and shining star,_  
 _And I protect the all helpless not just those of Valdemar.”_  
  
_“Now I shall give you beauty, women slaves and men,_  
 _And I shall give you power, you'll never see again,_  
 _And I shall give you mansions and I shall give you land,_  
 _If you will turn aside this day, aside and hold your hand.”_  
  
_“Now beauty held in bondage is beauty that is lost._  
 _And land and mansions blood-bought come too high the cost._  
 _The power I have already, all power is a jade_  
 _So turn you back, Lord Nedran if of me you are afraid!”_  
  
_Lord Nedran backs his stallion, the wizard he comes nigh,_  
 _“Prepare yourself, bold Vanyel, for you shall surely die!”_  
 _The wizard calls his demons, the demons he commands,_  
 _And Vanyel, Herald Vanyel, only raises empty hands._  
  
_The wizard calls his demons, the sky above turns black._  
 _The demons strike at Vanyel, he stands and holds them back._  
 _The demons strike at Vanyel, they strike and hurt him sore,_  
 _But Vanyel stands defiant, to raise his hands once more._  
  
_The sky itself descends now, upon bare Stony Tor_  
 _It hides the awful battle. The watchers see no more._  
 _The wizard shouts in triumph, too soon he vents his mirth._  
 _For Vanyel calls the lightning down, and smites him to the earth!_  
  
_The clouds of black have lifted; and there on barren ground_  
 _Stands Vanyel hurt, yet victor, the demons tied and bound._  
 _He looks down on Lord Nedran; his eyes grow cold and bleak,_  
 _“Now I shall give you, Nedran, all the power that you seek.”_  

 _Now Vanyel frees the demons, and Nedran screams with fear,_  
 _He sets them on the Karsites, who first had brought them here._  
 _He sets them on the Karsites, and on the Karsite land._  
 _They look down on Lord Nedran. And they do not stay their hand._  
  
_Now Vanyel calls the farmers. "Go tell you near and far,_  
 _How thus are served the tyrants who would take Valdemar._  
 _I am the bane of demons, their query I defend._  
 _Thus Heralds serve a foeman and thus Heralds save a friend_

 

As the song drew to a close the audience applauded. Markus grinned and got to his feet, taking a short bow before walking off the stage and over to his friends. They watched the rest of the performances together and waited with bated breath as the winners were announced.

“In second place for his performance of “Demonbane” a ballad of Herald Vanyel Ashkevron, Markus Velafi!” Markus bounced to his feet and walked up to join the Bardic student who had come in third, a timid, sad looking girl who had placed herself as far into the corner as she could.

“And in first place, for his performance of “Shadow Stalker” another ballad of Herald Vanyel, Ballast McGee.”  
“Oh no,” Ashe said quietly as Thog cursed under his breath. Every single Bardic student who was present groaned. Ashe handed Taika's leash to Thog as she got to her feet and hurried up to the stage. Markus looked positively murderous as Ballast McGee began to make his slow, smug way up towards the stage.

“Come on Markus,” Ashe said, taking hold of his sleeve and dragging him off the stage.

“No. I refuse. That did not just happen. Those songs are _way_ too similar he fucking copied me!” Markus hissed, low enough that only Ashe heard him. She gently patted his back and pushed him back towards Kyr, who pulled him gently out of the tent.

“Could you give me the second place trophy? I'll... give it to him later,” Ashe looked up at the announcer, a Full Bard in her scarlet uniform. She frowned, running a hand through her dark, curly hair.

“Always those two,” she sighed, handing Ashe the trophy in question. Ashe thanked her and headed out after the rest of her friends.

She found them not far away with Markus seated on a small chair. Kyr seemed to have pressed a cup of hot chocolate into Markus' hands and Thog was approaching with a basket Ashe recognized as coming from the miniature pie stand nearby. Taika had her head in Markus' lap.

Ashe quietly handed Thog the trophy as he passed and he pocketed it, the silent agreement between the two of them being to give it to Markus when the first bout of anger had passed. Markus sat, quietly looking like he was contemplating murder as he sipped his hot chocolate.

“Eat, you'll feel better,” Ashe said, grabbing a small pie from the basket and handing it to Markus. He took it but didn't take her advice to actually eat it.

“How did he even get into Bardic?” Markus asked, his voice somewhere between a growl and a hiss.

“He's got the gift of musicianship and the Bardic Gift,” Thog said. “Two out of three's all you need, right?” Markus tightened his grip on the pie, beginning to crush it a little bit. It was true, it didn't matter that Ballast McGee didn't have a single creative bone in his entire body, as long as he could play well what others had written and had the Bardic Gift he could get into the Collegium.

“But why _me_?” Markus asked. “Actually scratch that I wouldn't wish him on my worst enemy.”

“You wouldn't wish him on himself,” Inien said, raising an eyebrow. Markus gave her and unimpressed look and finally took a bite out of the somewhat crushed pie.

“He's going to get in trouble for plagiarism eventually,” Ashe said. Markus laughed with an unmistakable bitterness to his tone.

“Not likely,” he said. “That fucking- he's so- I'd like to just-” Markus made a particularly violent motion with his hands. Ashe looked up at the sky to see the sun beginning to set.

“The ice dance is starting soon,” she said. Markus blinked and looked up at the sky.

“Let's go,” he said. Ashe privately cheered. Markus had been looking forward to the performance since it had been announced as the ending ceremony for this years Ice Festival back in the beginning of autumn.

He gave Taika's leash back to Ashe and gave the dog and affectionate pat before getting to his feet. Taika wagged her tail happily as the group began to make their way towards the area designated for the ice dancing.

It was a spectacular way to end the day. The dancers moved in graceful patters, dressed in bright colours. The Bards who had been hired for the occasion were in perfect synch with the dancers. Gregor had to wonder how exactly they had managed to rehearse when there was no ice to do it on. In the end that didn't really matter.

Their grace and the speed at which they moved was occasionally alarming. One dancer would move within a hairs breath of another and everyone would hold their breath, expecting the two to collide. Instead they wove around each other, a beautiful whirl of brightly coloured fabrics and enchanting music.

Before the performance ended the group began to make their way out of the viewing area and back towards the Collegia. The reason for this being the fireworks that would be the final closing bell on the Ice Festival. Ashe wanted to get Taika back to Healer's before they started.

The group said goodbye to Thog first as he went home for the night. The second to leave was Inien, Markus broke from the group not long after to head towards Bardic. Gregor and Kyr said goodnight to Ashe on the doorstep of Healer's.

Not long after as the two headed towards Herald's Collegium a faint bang could be heard as the first firework went off. They stopped for a moment to look in the direction of the Ice Festival. Bright colours shone in the sky as another year's festival drew to its close.

“I'd say that went well,” Gregor said, grinning slightly. Kyr nodded as he opened the door to the Collegium and the warm air rushed out to greet them.

**Author's Note:**

> Vanyel Ashkevron is a legit character in the books I just happen to have the same name as him. (that not a coincidence I chose that name).


End file.
